Simplicity
by Koda12349
Summary: It's Christmas Eve in Berlin, and a certain Northern Italian has shown up on a certain German's doorstep just two days prior. Now, here we are in the midst of a picture perfect white Christmas in Germany, and Ludwig is a bit flustered…human names used! Fluff, for the holidays!


**A/N: Hi. Yeah...I'm back! Been battling some gnarly writer's block, but I decided this needed to come out. Now. Sorry for sounding so robotic...my personality has wasted away as of right now...whoopsie!**

**Disclaimer: Hetalia is not mine. Just the story.**

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All was quiet in this neighborhood of Berlin on the eve of Christmas in the year 2013. In other parts of the city, life was carrying on and the streets were bustling, but in this quaint section, all was peaceful. Quiet and peaceful and serene. All the houses lining the street were decorated to the brim with lights. White lights, red lights, multicolored lights. The cobblestone street was illuminated by not only the street lamps, but the simple Christmas decorations put out by the citizens. Wreaths with bows hung on every lamp post and front door, and there were a plethora of little doodads picked up from the Christmas market placed outside each different house.

One house in particular was decorated as such on the outside, and inside. A towering tree in the corner of the living room, with dozens of little trinkets for ornaments and lights strung all around, hanging from every branch. An angel sat atop the tree, glowing brightly. There were stockings hung on the fireplace, with a little holiday town set on the mantle. Tinsel was strung around every possible surface, alongside holly and red velvet bows. Candles, filling the room with the scent of cookies and cinnamon filled the nostrils of both occupants of the house that night: A German and an Italian.

"Veh! Look, Ludwig, it's snowing!" the young Italian man exclaimed in awe. There was a bright grin on his face; like that of a child. He pressed his hands and his face against the glass window and watched as the tiny white flakes fell from the sky above, gracefully and gently all the same. It had been ages since he had seen snow on Christmas Eve, or at all this close to the actual holiday. It was breathtaking to Feliciano Vargas.

Ludwig lifted his sky blue gaze away from the novel in his hand, A Christmas Carol, and saw that it was, indeed, snowing. As he set his book closed on the couch and approached the window Feliciano occupied, he saw that it was the kind of snow depicted in stories. It appeared soft, fluffy even. And as it began gathering in piles on the street corners, it looked like a small blanket covering the cobblestone. He could easily imagine the streets and rooftops covered by morning.

"C'mon, let's go!" Feliciano grinned as he pushed himself away from the window and toward the front door. Ludwig watched as the younger man grabbed his coat off the rack, along with his scarf and hat. He pulled on a pair of Ludwig's military boots, which were the closest to the door, and retrieved a pair of gloves from the pockets of his coat. In no time, he was prepared to charge out into the snow. He looked rather silly with these new additions to his person, as the light blue pajama pants, with polar bears and reindeers with Santa hats, were still visible.

A ghost of a smile graced Ludwig's face as he followed suit, pulling his own coat, scarf and boots on over his own pair of Christmas pajamas that Feliciano insisted he wear. These ones were a replication of Santa Claus' uniform, in the form of a t-shirt and flannel pants. Nevertheless, Ludwig followed Feliciano out the front door.

Ludwig instantly felt the wind chill all over his body as he stepped outside. It was easily 30 degrees outside, at most, and he was instantly shivering. But he paid no mind to how cold he felt; he had easily dealt with temperatures worse than this in less clothing.

He turned his attention back to the Italian in front of him. Feliciano looked thrilled. He had his arms stretched out to his sides, his back arched so his mouth was facing the sky. Wide open, ready to catch any falling snow in his mouth.

"Veh! I got one!" He cried triumphantly with a laugh, only moments later.

Ludwig smiled, "Good job, Feliciano." He praised his companion, though over such a trivial thing. The younger looked pleased with this.

Moments passed them by as they stood in brightly lit nighttime street. Ludwig watched Feliciano play with the falling flakes like a child, trying to gather many in his gloved hands so he could make a snowball. He didn't ever accomplish this goal, unfortunately. But it was all starting to stick to the ground, so he was reassured he could try again tomorrow.

Ludwig couldn't help but smile at the little things Feliciano did. The way his expressions changed so rapidly, so enthusiastically. The way he moved with the swiftness of one much younger than him. The way his smile lit up brightly…

Wait…what was this feeling Ludwig had in his stomach? He was surprised at the sensation…why, it could only be described as the feeling of butterflies flitting around inside him. But why would this happen? He wondered only briefly, before he caught Feliciano's eye.

Hazel eyes met blue ones, and the butterflies were magnified tenfold in Ludwig's torso.

"Veh…is something wrong, Luddy?" Feliciano inquired, his expression full of concern. He approached Ludwig slowly, and appeared worried about his friend.

Ludwig shook his head quickly, flustered beyond belief, "N-Nein! Nothing is wrong, I am fine." He stammered. He never stammered! What was wrong with him?

He felt his face redden, his cheeks burning up as Feliciano looked at him. It was almost as if the younger didn't believe him…but if that was the case, he said nothing. Instead, his face only brightened more.

"Veh, it's probably because it's so cold outside! You're shivering, Luddy, why didn't you say so! Let's go back in, okay?" Feliciano scampered off toward the front door of Ludwig's home, the snowflakes all but forgotten by the little Italian.

Ludwig shook his head in exasperation, but was smiling all the while. _His attention span is so short, _Ludwig thought to himself as he followed after Feliciano and into the house.

When he went in, he was engulfed in warmer air. It felt heavenly, as he shrugged off his jacket and his boots. He unwrapped the scarf around his neck and hung it back on the rack just as Feliciano entered the living room from the kitchen.

Two mugs were in his hands, and Ludwig instantly knew it was hot chocolate. Feliciano had insisted on the two making a pot of it earlier, that for which Ludwig was thankful. It was still hot, too.

Feliciano handed Ludwig the larger of the two mugs.

"Thank you, Feliciano." Ludwig said, nodding gratefully to the Italian as he brought the mug to his lips. Heat instantly flooded through him as he drank a hearty sip of the delicious beverage.

"Veh, of course!" He replied, grinning widely.

_ There goes those butterflies again_, Ludwig thought. He looked down at Feliciano, and felt the butterflies flutter around in a frenzy as the Italian's smile met his eyes.

Feliciano giggled quietly, "Luddy, your face is really red. Red like a tomato! Are you sure you're okay, veh?"

"I-I am fine, Feliciano." Ludwig scolded himself. Stammering, again! _What has gotten into you_, he asked himself.

All of a sudden, before Ludwig had the chance to register what was going on, Feliciano was on his toes. He was stretching up to Ludwig's height, and he felt the warm feeling of the younger's lips connecting to his cheek.

If Ludwig's face had been red before, it was the deepest crimson now. His blue eyes went wide as Feliciano went back to his own height and looked up at the German with a smile.

"F-Feliciano—" Ludwig began, but Feliciano cut him off.

"Veh…Buon Natale, Ludwig." The Italian replied.

And sure enough, the clock behind Ludwig's head struck midnight. Christmas morning was upon them, and looking down at his companion's innocent, smiling face, Ludwig was sure he had received the best present he could ask for.

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**A/N: And, end! Wasn't that just charming? Yes, indeedie.**


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